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Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Sports
BritWeek
BritWeek Drives Through Beverly Hills Steve McQueen’s green 1956 Jaguar XKSS, a gray 1928 Bentley Speed 6, and a row of iconic Mini Coopers line up in attendance for the British Invasion show at the Petersen Museum for auto enthusiasts and car aficionados on Nov. 14. By Christian Chavez and Louis White
My
mother gave me a name in Cajun French named ‘Couyon’ which is a fool.
I
have a couyon puppet sitting in the driver’s seat driving away with his magical top hat and goggles.
The growl of cars charged the air as many classics prepared to park on top of the Petersen Museum’s rooftop lot. Guests sipped coffee, and chomped on donuts and sausage rolls, and the smell of engine oil mingled with the snacks on a warm and sunny day. Hundreds of guests came to watch collectors show off their prized classic cars. Former late-night TV host and car collector Jay Leno attended, and so did TV-teacher Bill Nye, the Science Guy. Rapper, Tyler the Creator rubbed elbows with other celebrities and car fans who turned up at 8 a.m. to see rows of iconic cars. Enthusiastic fans snapped pictures and talked to the owners. Petersen Automotive Museum, the City of Beverly Hills and car aficionado Magnus Walker hosted the event, which highlighted a fantastic ride through some of Britain’s most celebrated automobiles. Some cars and their drivers stood out. Daelen Cory wore a top hat and a drawnon mustache, one of many drivers who attended the event and drove his green 1968 MGB GT. “It’s a totally classic gentleman’s car,” Cory said. Inside his car was a 24-inch tall puppet with a top hat sitting in the driver’s seat. The back of his trunk was propped open to reveal another top hat with goggles sitting on the bottom to highlight its unique place among a sea of cars. The car oozed personality. The license plate on the back of Cory’s car had the word Couyon, which holds a personal significance for the flashy driver. “My mother gave me a name in Cajun French, ‘Couyon’ which is a fool,” he said. “I have a couyon puppet sitting in the driver’s seat driving away with his magical top hat and goggles.” The Britweek rally treated guests to many cars with different personalities, rather than the average manufactured assembly line vehicle with predictable curved features. Many of these classic vehicles, such as the Mini Cooper and Rolls Royce were made by hand. Brandon Faith studies photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He says he enjoys photographing car events with a large format 4x5 film camera. This camera allows the photographer to take a step back and slow down to produce an image that captures more detail than a typical camera. “Keep the car scene alive, and just remember the past because if you treat these things poorly, you’re just throwing away this era,” Faith said. The importance of this event is about preservation, and with students like Faith carrying around a large format camera, the car scene will survive and thrive. “All we will ever have is pictures,” said the photo student. The automobiles rolled toward the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts near Beverly Hills City Hall. The parade of classic cars dominated Fairfax Avenue as everyday cars idled on the sidelines. The classic jewels rode in style through L.A’s streets one more time. At the close of the day, fans of British car culture witnessed a spectacular ride through history.
Photos by Christian Chavez (Top) Jay Leno exiting the Petersen parking lot in his 1928 Bentley Speed 6 heading towards the Wallis Annenberg Center of the Performing Arts. All part of the British Invasion Week on November 14, 2021. (Center) A 1968 MGB GT sits on the Petersen Museum’s top level parking lot. The owner, Daelen Cory, adorned his car with a top hat, funky glasses and a license plate with the word Couyon. All part of the British Invasion Week on November 14, 2021.
A green 1967 Morgan parked on top of the Petersen Museum’s top level parking lot. All part of the British Invasion Week on November 14, 2021.
